BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Visit Bosnia and Herzegovina to discover a revitalising part of Europe that is super welcoming and friendly to all who travel there.

What you need to know about Bosnia and Herzegovina

Language: Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian are all officially recognised as national languages. Given the recency of the country being formed in its current state, if you can speak one of the three you’ll likely get by but learning some basic Bosnian phrases would be helpful. English is spoken well in tourist industry like in hotels and restaurants where you will often find the younger generation working.

Currency: Bosnia-Herzegovina Convertible Mark or 'BAM' for short.

Banking: In big cities you’ll find cash machines and retailers accepting cards commonplace. In rural areas ATMs are found less frequently and it is best to have cash with you in cards are not accepted by a retailer.

Weather: The weather can be nice in the summer and the hilly terrain often gets basked in lovely, warm sun. The winters bring a fairly different set of temperatures when it can easily average about 5 degrees centigrade.

The amazing Stari Most ("Old Bridge") in the city of Mostar.

A nation embracing its past but looking to the future

As a country and a region that has seen much turmoil in the not so distant past you could be forgiven for imagining that Bosnia and Herzegovina would be littered with the remnants of war. That is not untrue when you venture out of the main cities and into rural areas where regeneration work is less of a focus, and you will absolutely see a legacy of conflict in places like Sarajevo as well where bullet holes can be seen in some of the older buildings.

However what you will also find is an incredibly friendly and welcoming attitude from the locals who do not forget the past but move into the future reunited and open to the world.

As a major country in the Balkans and linked historically to both Austria (as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire of yesteryear) and more recently as part of Yugoslavia, the is a lot of rich cultural heritage in Bosnia and there are many museums that can be found in both the capital city and beyond that showcase the role that the country had played in European history.

Perfect for a Balkans road trip

Lovely countryside is great for a road trip and you are well connected with options to drive around to see places like Mostar with its Stari Most (old bridge), the beautiful Kravica Waterfalls and Llidza (very near Sarajevo) or Balagaj.

You can also head to other Balkan neighbours and, depending on where you are, be over the border into Croatia for example within a few hours by car.

Train travel is not the best in the region but by no means impossible. If you plan to explore a bit more of the country than just Sarajevo then the best idea would be to rent a car.